Taking a Risk
by SetsuntaMew
Summary: Hakuryuu is a calculating man, and accepting the help of a magi who can't keep from instagramming his every waking moment doesn't seem the most prudent choice.


*waves softly* hi everyone, life has been super busy but I'm slowly getting back into writing! this is a very belated fill for the prompt **"Take notes. Watch and learn."** from uh...November? anyway, I hope you all enjoy! :D

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Judal rolls on Hakuryuu's bed, playing with his phone and messing up the perfectly arranged pillows. "It is so unfair that a world-famous magi with millions of Instagram followers has to put up with crap like this," he whines. "Come _oooonnnnn_."

"I'm not going into a dungeon with you," Hakuryuu says patiently and continues reading the spell book in front of him. Some of this looks like what his mother uses, but he's not sure how useful it will be. There isn't much about how to stop most of it, unfortunately.

"Why not?" he asks petulantly, even though they both know the answer to that. It's been an argument for years, and Hakuryuu just wishes Judal would let it drop. So he ignores him, since sometimes that works. Judal's attention only lasts for so long.

"You went into one with your stupid friends! Why not let me take you to a better one?" Judal continues, refusing to let the subject drop. He shoves his phone in Hakuryuu's face. "You aren't part of their group!"

Hakuryuu pushes it away enough that he can actually see the screen clearly. There's another story about Aladdin and his metal vessel users, with a big section focused on himself. He sees where this is going. "Are you jealous?"

Judal flushes red, and Hakuryuu can tell he's right. Ah. No wonder Judal has been in such a bad mood lately.

"I am not!" he snaps, taking his phone back. "I just hate that they're wrong about you."

Hakuryuu shrugs. "It doesn't bother me right now. I have other things I'm working on, and if the world wants to think I'm part of Aladdin's little sunshine crew, that's fine."

Judal whines some more. "But I want you to be _mine_."

"So you are jealous," Hakuryuu says. There's an angry silence that follows, before Judal sighs.

"Whatever. You don't care-"

Hakuryuu cuts him off. "You're just too loud. There's something to be said for subtlety, and that's what I need right now. If I went into a dungeon with you right now, the press would be all over it. I can't have that kind of attention."

"We could be subtle about it," Judal tries to say.

"No we couldn't. You put everything on Instagram," Hakuryuu tells him, and Judal laughs.

"You're right! And I wouldn't be able to hold back, since I've wanted you for so long."

Hakuryuu takes a deep breath and decides to take a risk. Trusting Judal isn't the safest thing, but it could give him an advantage in the long run. He points at the open spellbook and the notebook next to it. "This is what I'm working on: a more solid plan to take out my mother and her followers. Take notes. Watch and learn. I can't just throw caution to the wind and jump in without a plan."

Judal hops off the bed and pads over to look at Hakuryuu's work. He's a bit too close to be casual, but Hakuryuu's used to Judal's loose concept of personal boundaries. "So...you do want my help eventually?" he finally asks, leaning in to point at part of the outline.

"If you're willing to give it-" he begins, and Judal nearly tackles him with a hug.

"Of course I'm willing, you idiot, I've only been asking you for years!" Judal nuzzles his face up against Hakuryuu's and drapes himself over his shoulders, hands wandering in a far too adventurous way until Hakuryuu smacks them away.

"I wasn't done. Do you always have to interrupt me?"

Judal shrugs. "Whatever, if you have any stipulations I'm sure I'll be fine."

"You have to give up your ties to Al Tharman," he says, and Judal laughs.

"Oh Hakuryuu. You say that like it goes against my own wants," Judal says once he's caught his breath. He sounds deadly serious, more so than Hakuryuu has ever heard from him, and he waits for Judal to finish his thoughts. "You're not the only one who's been hurt by them."

"Judal, you seem to be enjoying yourself with them," Hakuryuu responds, brow furrowed in confusion. "It's hard to believe you're that unhappy when you've been spoiled and pampered by them your whole life."

"Gotta laugh hard enough that no one knows how miserable you are! I'm not completely stupid, you know," he says, and offers Hakuryuu his hand. "I'm down for that. Just tell me what to do, and I'm yours."

Hakuryuu eyes it. "We're not going to a dungeon any time soon. I'd need you to act like nothing's changed."

Judal nods. "Gotcha."

"I'm serious about that. You can't tell anyone. I don't know who I can and can't trust, so it's easiest to trust no one."

"You just showed me your whole plan."

"I took a risk," Hakuryuu says, and takes Judal's hand. He can feel the spark of magic when they touch, warm and right and a bit terrifying, and Judal pulls him close enough to lay a single soft kiss on the side of his mouth.

"Good choice," Judal says, and Hakuryuu kisses him properly this time.


End file.
